#034 – 3DEXPERIENCE World 2026 (#3DXW26)

I have been privileged to make the acquaintance of Breda McCague. A close friend and colleague suggested I get in touch with her, and being the force of nature she is, she advised me to seek new experiences and new connections. So, I did exactly that. Thanks, Breda!

Having known Thom Tremblay for many years, Thom suggested I teach a DraftSight class at 3DEXPERIENCE World 2026 (#3DXW26). I have used DraftSight for about seven years, and a few years back, I even had a DraftSight course in the LinkedIn Learning library (now archived). Taking Breda’s advice, I jumped at the chance of such a new opportunity, and hopped on a flight to Houston, Texas, where the conference was located this year.

3DXW26 ran from 1^st February to 4^th February and I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised. Apart from the delay in getting my conference pass (there were some technical hitches), it was a pleasurable, relaxing experience. The whole vibe I got from this conference was professionalism, but also fun. It reminded me of the values of Not Just CAD such as #weALLhavevalue and #ALWAYSbelearning.

The expo at 3DXW26 was called The Playground which describes it exactly. Yes, it is professionals rubbing shoulders, but it’s informal, with plenty of laughter, and the networking is full on with lots of intelligent conversation. Trust me, the entire 3DXW community know their stuff, and some of the projects on display (ranging from robots to graphics cards) were cutting edge. My favourite was the Dusty Robotics robot who can mark out all the information from a drawing onto the concrete slab on site, saving many hours of communication and reworking. I even got to mark out the words ‘Not Just CAD’ on their demo site floor and get a cute robot plushie too!

I have attended many conferences over the years, and I have to say that I was made to feel so welcome. That, combined with the Texas hospitality at my hotel and surrounding eateries etc, made for quite the warm fuzzy feeling. Combined with the DraftSight Puppy Parklet, hosted by Best Friends, it certainly made for a relaxing few days! If I had eaten any more steak, I think I might have turned into a ribeye at some point!

I spent the majority of my time with the DraftSight team on their booth in The Playground, and it was time well spent, learning about how DraftSight is moving forward and, more importantly, how there is still a highly relevant relationship between 2D and 3D, especially considering that the conference was originally called SolidWorks World. Meeting the entire DraftSight team has given me some great insights on the technical side of DraftSight, including the BIM and Mechanical modules, and how they function in industry, providing some highly productive workflows that save many hours of design and rework. Image credit goes to Simon Booker from the DraftSight team!

Classes at 3DXW26 were smaller than I expected. Nonetheless, they were highly informative and presented well. My DraftSight class had the majority of those that had signed up attending, and I had some great conversations with those that attended my class too.

I also attended several DraftSight classes, practicing what I preach. DraftSight will be one of the key products on the Not Just CAD platform when it goes live, so the more I know the better. To always be learning is a mantra of mine. All learning is of value, and you can never have enough knowledge, right?

There’s a lot going on with DraftSight too. The development of the 2026 version has added numerous features that make DraftSight a very competent CAD application that will be highly valuable in the contractor/sub-contractor marketplace, especially when utilizing the BIM module that has full RVT and IFC file compatibility. I am very excited to see how that module develops, as it has some very cool workflows that will be game changers when providing contract documents to contractors working onsite.

On top of that, DraftSight turned fifteen this year, and that was made apparent at the conference. Thom Tremblay gave us a great presentation of the past 15 years of DraftSight, and how it has progressed from a free 2D drafting tool, to its present iteration of being a highly sophisticated CAD application.

Overall, the momentum behind DraftSight is building, especially as a partner to SolidWorks, with a strong synergy between 2D and 3D. We all thought the 2D drawing format would disappear, but it is still very much in the forefront, linking closely to 3D models and the documentation needed to communicate design intent to third parties.

I will confess. I did not attend the first two conference keynotes in person, so I missed the spectacle of the ‘running of the nerds’ where attendees (literally) sprint into the auditorium to get front row seats. It is a spectacle of legend, and the videos of it on social media certainly raised a smile! I did watch the first two keynotes remotely, and it is obvious that AI is becoming important in the world of SolidWorks and its associated applications. What I loved the most though is that the users are still first and foremost. There was no need to quote that “no-one gets left behind” because everyone knows that already. The user is key and that, for me, was the key takeaway from my first 3DEXPERIENCE World.

I did attend the third (closing) keynote, and I was blown away by the sheer exuberance of the SolidWorks community and the SolidWorks User Group Network (SWUGN). The loyalty and enthusiasm were off the scale. This included lots of cheering, and even a Mexican wave. As a community builder and leader, this was of high importance to me, and I sincerely hope that the DraftSight user community follows suit.

The whole SolidWorks community is vibrant, and it is plainly obvious how important the investment in that community is. The User Group awards made that clear. The cheering and camaraderie were loud, proud, and visibly obvious with all the red shirts and accessories on display. Other industry communities take note. The SolidWorks User Group Network are here for the duration, and they are a power to be reckoned with.

With every conference comes a conference party. This was a cool party with a difference. It was held at the NASA Space Center Houston (www.spacecenter.org). As the Official Visitor Center of NASA Johnson Space Center and a Smithsonian Affiliate, the whole experience was a blast (pardon the pun). There were over 400 space artefacts to check out, as well as immersive exhibits. For a total space geek such as me, this was the equivalent of becoming an astronaut. I got to see a real lunar module, stand inside a space shuttle (Independence), and have my picture taken next to the Saturn V rocket that put us on the moon, and was responsible for launching the Apollo missions.

Going forward, the next 3DXW will be in Nashville in February 2027. I can safely say that I intend to be there. I hope I can teach another DraftSight class and experience another great event. I can safely say that I walked away from this one feeling excited, motivated, and enthusiastic about the direction DraftSight is taking, and I hope to be involved more as it moves forward.

On that note, I am very pleased to say that I am recording seven DraftSight courses for the Global eTraining (GeT) library this year, ranging from absolute beginner up to fundamental DraftSight skills. These courses will take you all the way up to being a DraftSight user that can hit the ground running in a new role or starting a new project.

You can find GeT at www.globaletraining.ca where you can find out about all the courses they offer, using their unique learning platform. As a GeT Ambassador, and a learning advocate, I can safely say that GeT are at the forefront of making learning accessible for anyone and everyone. If you are interested in finding out more, email me at [email protected].

I am hoping that my international travelling can pause for a bit now, to allow me to catch my breath, but please stay tuned for more blogs and podcasts from me, the CADjedi, at Not Just CAD!

SCB.